Fire Red Squirrels Download EXCLUSIVE
Pasty Smsith
I joined my fire department a couple of months ago and I've received the nickname SquirrelMan. At first I thought it was a cool nickname but someone told me that it has bad connotations in firefighting, could someone tell me what a squirrel is?
Nearly every tree species affected by the Tubbs and Nuns Fires has a strategy for returning. Some, like coast live oak, have thick bark and may still be standing with green canopies hanging over blackened understory in places like Sonoma Valley Regional Park. Trees in this condition will be helped in the years to come because the competition around their bases is gone. If burned, coast live oak have an amazing ability to sprout from the trunk. This can happen within two months of a fire or sometimes takes two to three years. It all depends on how much energy is stored in their roots and how the weather plays out.
Black oaks, like most other oaks, also reseed from acorns that fall on freshly burned soil or are brought in by squirrels and scrub jays who actually prefer burned sites to cache food for winter. The Creekside Trail in Shiloh Ranch Regional Park will be a place to observe black oaks rebounding.
Many wildflower species are also represented in the natural seed bed and will respond next spring as rains subside and temperatures warm. Reny Parker, a well-known California Native Plant Society member, shared these photos showing how the seedbank responded after the Lake County fires. We will see this kind of response in our burned parks.
So, bottom line, park vegetation will come back on its own, with a few exceptions. We have areas heavily impacted by fire suppression, areas where dozer lines, hand lines, and staging areas were cut into the landscapes. Those areas require active seeding and stabilizing. A recent Press Democrat article showed photos of one place we put native seed and straw on Hood Mountain. It was by far the exception to the rule and represented a place where so much soil had been disturbed that active seeding made sense.
So what about the squirrels? And all of the other animals that live in these forests? Where are they now? Larger animals likely ran from the flames and took shelter in nearby unburned areas. Others sheltered in place. Ground squirrels and other rodents can stay underground, and we already see them active in the burned areas. Tree squirrels found refuge in tall trees above the flames or in unburned patches.
To be sure, some wildlife perished, but research shows the vast majority can get out of the way of fire and will return. They will make good use of hollow stumps for shelter, downed trees for dens, piled brush for protection, and they will feed on seed and sprouts as available. In their travels, they will spread the seeds and inoculate the soil with tiny fungi that support seedling growth. The seeds support the squirrels, and the squirrels support the seeds.
And the counteracting impacts of fire and squirrels could provide valuable insights for land managers as fires are expected to become more frequent in the American West due to climate change, the researchers say.
Scientists long have known that lodgepole pine trees respond to fire by altering the production of pine cones. Instead of producing cones that open and release their seeds every year, trees that grow where fires are more common produce closed cones, known as serotinous cones. Those cones retain viable seeds for a decade or longer, until fires or other high temperatures melt the sealing resins and cause the seeds to fall from the cones. That results in faster, denser lodgepole regeneration when there are fires.
It is difficult to precisely compare the relative magnitude of the impacts of fires and squirrels on lodgepole forests, but Talluto says the two evolutionary drivers are on about the same scale. Besides squirrels, no other factors have been identified that explain the spatial variation in serotinous vs. non-serotinous tree growth after fires.
Squirrels usually build nests in a dark, warm environment, away from predators. If you have squirrels living in your attic, you might find a squirrel nest nestled somewhere warm like inside a vent or next to an electrical appliance. They often pack their nests tight to preserve warmth. If this happens inside of an electrical appliance, it can mean overheating and may cause a fire.
Until they started visiting my fire escape, I had counted southern flying squirrels among the animals that I was unlikely to ever see in the city. They're nocturnal, for one, spending the daylight hours nestled into cavities high up in trees. When they are active, they spend a good deal of their time in the upper forest canopy. They're also small, about half the size of their larger gray cousins.
I'd always assumed that if I did see a flying squirrel, it would be a brief encounter, a shadow passing between branches after sundown. I'd tried to look for them a few times, squinting up at the tops of trees at dusk, but I never had any luck. Now, suddenly, they were eating sunflower seeds on my fire escape.
If eastern gray squirrels are right at home in an urban environment, stealing sandwiches and climbing power lines, southern flying squirrels are probably a little less comfortable with the enormous footprint of the human city. "The extent to which they're using street trees is hard to know, but they're probably not going to be blocks away from the forest," Munshi-South said. While it's unlikely that you'll see a flying squirrel in Midtown, they manage to get by here, nesting in tree cavities and sometimes even gaps in the roofs of buildings.
My girlfriend's cats were also transfixed by the squirrels, passing entire nights at the windowsill to watch them zip back and forth. For such snack-sized animals, the squirrels seemed pretty unskittish about their spectators, despite the fact that cats in the United States kill somewhere in the range of 6.3 to 22.3 billion small mammals every year. In the forest, these squirrels have to watch out for formidable nocturnal predators like owls, but one of the perks of adapting to a life in the upper-canopy might be not having to worry so much about cats.
Like any other animal, squirrels can start fires if they are trapped and distressed, caught in the flicker of a flame, or surrounded by the heat of smoldering cinders. Ash, tinder, and even a log from a forest could contribute to their predicament. A tree can become a dangerous torch if a squirrel's inattention leads to an ember falling from its acorn stash. However, squirrels do not cause house fires on their own. You may have heard of a squirrel "chewing through the wiring" or "frying something," but this is far from the truth. In reality, they might instead char the insulation as they chew on wires, causing smoke and a potential blaze. Unfortunate events, such as extreme weather or a fallen power line, may exacerbate the situation, sparking flames and requiring the service of firefighters to extinguish them.
When a squirrel enters your attic or crawlspace, it will chew on any electrical wiring it finds. It is because squirrels prefer to eat fruits, insects, and nuts with sharp teeth. They are also drawn to the warmth of the coal-like insulation on wires, as well as use their teeth to kindle and gather materials for their nests.
Squirrels also like to store food in their built nests for later use, sometimes even creating a campfire-like atmosphere. The squirrel chews on wires because they are trying to get at the food inside your home's walls or attic insulation. Unfortunately, chewing on wires can cause short circuits, cinder buildup, and fire, turning your home into a dangerous bonfire!
Squirrels are other rodents that often live in trees or tall shrubs. While some squirrels are non-native, others have been in the United States for centuries. Squirrels are the ultimate hoarders. They love to collect food and can quickly become a fire hazard if your home has a squirrel infestation! Some of the common damage squirrels cause include:
The most common way is chewing on electric wires and starting a fire. Squirrels often chew through electrical wires because they are attracted to the insulation's smell and like to gnaw on things. When squirrels chew through electrical wires, they can cause a short circuit or an overload. Both of these conditions can cause fires.
Squirrels may also start fires by entering a campfire or bonfire area and chewing on plastic wiring or lines that connect water heaters with their furnaces. It causes sparks that may ignite dry leaves or other materials, resulting in a fire.
The best way to avoid having your house catch on fire because of squirrels is to get a home inspection from a licensed electrician before buying a home or renting an apartment. This will let you know whether there are any issues with wiring or electrical systems in the house before you move in.
The main reason squirrels chew through electrical wiring is that they are hungry and looking for food. Squirrels will gnaw on anything that looks edible to them, including electrical wires and cables.
If a squirrel caused a house fire, it can be a surprising and unfortunate event, leaving you with significant property damage to address. The safety of yourself and others is of utmost importance, so make sure everyone evacuates the premises and promptly seek assistance from the fire department. Once the fire is extinguished and the situation is stable, you may find yourself contemplating the best approach to selling a fire-damaged home. Selling the property offers an opportunity to offload the burden of repairs and move forward with a fresh start. To navigate the process smoothly, it's essential to work with real estate professionals experienced in dealing with fire-damaged properties. They can help you assess the fair value of your home in its current condition and devise a marketing strategy to attract potential buyers who may be interested in undertaking the necessary restoration. By opting to sell, you can expedite the recovery process and embark on the next chapter with renewed hope.
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